As an acclaimed composer, conductor, Excelsia Ambassador and William Byrd Fellow at Excelsia University College, Antony Pitts is no stranger to blending music with meaning. With an impressive legacy spanning many decades as Artistic Director of both TONUS PEREGRINUS and The Song Company, as well as a parallel career of internationally recognised composition, Antony continues to pour his passion for sacred music into initiatives that uplift, unite and inspire.
Antony says, ‘I have always sung – as a boy in the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace, and later founding TONUS PEREGRINUS while an undergraduate at New College, Oxford. To me, singing in harmony is a taste of heaven.’ Antony has written choral music for many choirs including the Choir of New College Oxford, Rundfunkchor Berlin, The Swingle Singers and the Choir of Westminster Cathedral, as well as festivals such as Cheltenham Music Festival, Edington Festival of Music within the Liturgy, and the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music. Here in Sydney, Antony composed a 50-part motet for Sydney Philharmonia Choirs that was sung at Sydney Opera House, and he has just completed a piece for the Choir at Excelsia University College called ‘Re-New’.
This year, Antony joins a diverse lineup of music leaders to listen and compare notes at the International Christian Choral Celebration (ICCC) – a global event that celebrates Christian choral music of all kinds. Bringing together choirs from around the world into a richly diverse playlist, the ICCC is more than just an online musical gathering – it’s a vibrant act of worship through many voices singing in harmony.
Antony’s involvement with ICCC aligns closely with his vision as William Byrd Fellow and Excelsia Ambassador at Excelsia University College, where faith and the creative arts come together in transformative ways. At Excelsia, students are encouraged to explore their gifts while grounding their craft in purpose. It’s a message Antony champions both at Excelsia and on the global stage: ‘Today singing Christian texts and songs, in some places, is still a very brave thing to do. Those of us who can freely sing do so in solidarity with others around the world who are not so free.’ Excelsia is hosting this International Christian Choral Celebration to encourage people everywhere to sing out in praise of God and in proclamation of the Gospel, with its power to transform lives.
